11 plans reviewed

GI in Atlanta
Atlanta predominantly plans for GI to address stormwater issues, although some attempts are made to cohesively plan across the urban ecosystem.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Atlanta’s current strategic GI, comprehensive, and resilience plans embrace an equity lens, but mechanisms for addressing equity concerns remain sparse.

Incorporated 1837
135.6 sq. miles
498,000 Total population, 3673 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
$55,279 Median household income
63% Estimated rent-burdened households
17.7% Housing units vacant

4 plans reviewed

GI in Chicago
Chicago plans focus on stormwater, though also include the integration of ‘natural’ and ‘engineered’ GI.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Chicago plans inconsistently address equity, despite commitments to multiple values and functions, they lack definitions.

Incorporated 1789
234.2 sq. miles
2,718,555 Total population, 11,956 people per sq. mile
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
$55,198 Median household income
61.5% Estimated rent-burdened households
12.6% Housing units vacant

2 plans reviewed

GI in Louisville
Louisville plans treat GI as part of the city’s core infrastructure systems and support a city-wide network of green spaces.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Louisville plans are largely silent on equity issues. Despite promising mechanisms of public engagement, they lack procedures for evaluation.

Incorporated 1778
275.2 sq. miles
617,032 Total population, 2,343 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
$51,307 Median household income
58.5% Estimated rent-burdened households
10.6% Housing units vacant

4 plans reviewed

GI in New Orleans
New Orleans GI plans focus on city-wide hazard reduction by using diverse GI facilities for stormwater management.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Comprehensive planning in New Orleans makes notable improvements over other existing GI plans which largely fail to address equity.

Incorporated 1718
169.4 sq. miles
389,648 Total population, 2,299 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome
$39,576 Median household income
71.7% Estimated rent-burdened households
19.7% Housing units vacant

4 plans reviewed

GI in Phoenix
GI planning in Phoenix emphasizes comprehensive city-wide ecological networks for multiple functions.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Phoenix GI plans do not address equity or justice issues despite their intentions to improve urban quality of life.

Incorporated 1867
518.9 sq. miles
1,610,071 Total population, 3,110 people per sq. mile
Deserts and xeric shrublands
$54,765 Median household income
60.3% Estimated rent-burdened households
9.7% Housing units vacant

1 plan reviewed

GI in San Juan
San Juan’s comprehensive plan examines the city's riverine corridor as its GI, emphasizing its ecological characteristics and relationships with other infrastructure systems.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
San Juan appears to include residents in GI planning expected to deliver many functions and benefits, but has major gaps in conceptualizing equity.

Incorporated 1521
46.4 sq. miles
331,165 Total population, 8,377 people per sq. mile
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
$21,986 Median household income
68.1% Estimated rent-burdened households
24.8% Housing units vacant

7 plans reviewed

GI in Austin
Austin plans diverge in GI concepts and strategies dealing with ecological elements and hybrid infrastructures.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Austin plans seek to engage communities to provide multiple values, but visions and evaluation mechanisms need development.

Incorporated 1835
327.4 sq. miles
935,755 Total population, 2917 people per sq. mile
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
$67,462 Median household income
61.3% Estimated rent-burdened households
8.5% Housing units vacant

6 plans reviewed

GI in Denver
Denver plans embrace multiple GI concepts and focus on a more connected urban ecosystem including parks, trails, and rivers.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Denver plans emphasize participatory planning, targeting underserved communities, but lack mechanisms for evaluation.

Incorporated 1858
154.9 sq. miles
693,417 Total population, 4523 people per sq. mile
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
$63,793 Median household income
60.1% Estimated rent-burdened households
6.3% Housing units vacant

3 plans reviewed

GI in Miami
Miami plans emphasize a connected park system, urban forests, and complementary urban form, yet omit stormwater management.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Miami has actionable frameworks for inclusive park system planning and assessing distributional dimensions of equity, but plans lack definitions and consistency.

Incorporated 1825
56.1 sq. miles
451,214 Total population, 12,535 people per sq. mile
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
$36,638 Median household income
75.9% Estimated rent-burdened households
15.4% Housing units vacant

16 plans reviewed

GI in New York City
New York City plans emphasize stormwater and combined sewer programs, with some integration of street trees and the urban forest.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
New York City plans lack robust mechanisms of community engagement, and are largely silent on issues of intersectional justice.

Incorporated 1624
468.2 sq. miles
8,443,713 Total population, 28,110 People per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
$60,762 Median household income
64% Estimated rent-burdened households
9.2% Housing units vacant

8 plans reviewed

GI in Portland
Portland has numerous plans using diverse GI concepts and elements; plans include both integrated and watershed-focused planning approaches.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Portland plans have some strong definitions, frameworks, participatory practices, and analysis, but are inconsistent with notable gaps.

Incorporated 1845
145.0 sq. miles
639,387 Total population, 4,792 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
$65,740 Median household income
63.8% Estimated rent-burdened households
6.3% Housing units vacant

6 plans reviewed

GI in Seattle
Seattle’s GI planning focuses on stormwater management using a wide variety of GI types to provide environmental and technological functions.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Seattle GI plans attempt a more inclusive process, but poorly conceptualize equity and inconsistently address the distribution of GI.

Incorporated 1869
142.1 sq. miles
708,823 Total population, 8,452 people per sq. mile
Temperate conifer forests
$85,562 Median household income
58.1% Estimated rent-burdened households
6.1% Housing units vacant

11 plans reviewed

GI in Baltimore
Baltimore plans primarily use GI to manage stormwater; however, plans also include large scale efforts for a city-wide green network and redevelopment.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Baltimore plans emphasize community involvement and revitalization, but lack definitions and mechanisms.

Incorporated 1729
92.1 sq. miles
614,700 Total population, 7594 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
$48,840 Median household income
64% Estimated rent-burdened households
19% Housing units vacant

4 plans reviewed

GI in Detroit
Detroit plans currently limit their definitions of green infrastructure to stormwater management through the use of ecosystem elements and hybrid facilities.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Most GI planning in Detroit is for regulatory compliance, with some community engagement throughout the plan lifecycle, however equity and justice are largely absent from plans.

Incorporated 1701
142.9 sq. miles
677, 155 Total population, 4881.6 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
$29,481 Median household income
72.4% Estimated rent-burdened households
28.5% Housing units vacant

4 plans reviewed

GI in Milwaukee
Milwaukee plans integrate extensive stormwater planning with interconnected systems of parks, greenways, and waterfronts.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Milwaukee plans emphasize participatory planning and robust labor force development, but lack definitions and evaluation mechanisms.

Incorporated 1846
96.8 sq. miles
596,886 Total population, 6205 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
$40,036 Median household income
65.5% Estimated rent-burdened households
10.9% Housing units vacant

13 plans reviewed

GI in Philadelphia
Philadelphia GI plans focus on green stormwater infrastructure with some inclusion of tree canopy and open space.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Philadelphia plans emphasize participation and adaptive management without robustly addressing equity and justice issues.

Incorporated 1682
134.2 sq. miles
1,575,522 Total population, 11,737 people per sq. mile
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest
$43,744 Median household income
66% Estimated rent-burdened households
12.9% Housing units vacant

3 plans reviewed

GI in Sacramento
Sacramento GI plans address both stormwater management and the creation of a city-wide connected park system.

Equity of Green Infrastructure
Sacramento appears to include residents in GI planning to deliver many functions and benefits but has major gaps in conceptualization.

Incorporated 1859
99.9 sq. miles
495,011 Total population, 5,060 people per sq. mile
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
$58,456 Median household income
64.7% Estimated rent-burdened households
6.5% Housing units vacant